When Eddie Howe called for a response from his Newcastle team following the crushing end of their nine-game winning streak last weekend, he will have been aware that the immediate task ahead was the softest the Premier League can provide; perhaps destined to statistically be the simplest in top-flight history.
Results aside – an absurd combination of words in a sporting context – Southampton are no pushovers. But they rarely draw and almost never win. And this is a Newcastle side with serious intentions and some serious players.
More Stories
Grassroots clubs hold key as Norway prepares for historic vote to scrap VAR
RFL warns clubs that planned coup will financially cripple the sport
Fifa’s Gianni Infantino defends ‘crucial’ relationship with Donald Trump